Flat-lays, Followers and Food – A night with Vamp Creative Studio

Mountains of cheese, pink drinks and the chance to talk to other foodies. If there was ever a match-made it in heaven, it was myself and the Vamp Creative Studios event which took place on Tuesday night.

Shelves stacked from floor to ceiling with kitchen equipment, finely detailed cutlery, homewares and gourmet food, Williams Sonoma was the perfect location for the evenings activities.

The gathering marked the first event in the Vamp Creative Studio Series. Tickets sold out instantaneously and from the moment I entered the door, I could see why. Bringing together creative minds and industry influencers to meet, connect and collaborate and of course to ooh and ahh over all the gorgeous details.

The night began with a warm welcome from the Vamp team followed by a feast for the stomach (and the eyes) courtesy of Eat and Co. These guys take food spreads to another dimension, I couldn’t believe there were so many different kinds of cheese! Once we’d all photographed its beauty, it was steadily demolished for the next three hours. Washed down by a cocktail from the bartenders/pilots at Trolleyed, who were shaking up concoctions of fruity, alcoholic deliciousness that kept everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds).

We made our way into the heavenly kitchen to hear Instagram tricks and tell-all’s from two brilliant content creators, Arvin from @arvinisstarvin and Ange from @thegirlswhoatetheworld. They covered everything from photogenic flatlays, food styling, Instagram algorithms and the power of the online community.

For anyone who says that food is just food, this event proved that they couldn’t be further from the truth. I learned that food is an art, a passion and a lifestyle. There is so much thought and effort that goes into food photography and it can effortlessly blend with fashion, lifestyle and health. Insider tip from Arvin – if you’re ever taking a photo of a burger, get a girl to hold it. They have smaller hands which makes the burger look bigger and more impressive, who knew?

At the end of the presentations, we were all given the chance to play around with the food platters and props to create our own flatlay masterpieces. I had a little tweak here and there but mostly left it to the professionals, everyone was so incredible to watch! Each person can take the exact same things but create something completely different and unique and it was magical to see everyones different perspectives.

This was such an amazing event, and it was so lovely to meet like-minded people who are so passionate about what they do. Thank you so much to Vamp Collective for having me and to Williams Sonoma for hosting.

We were given a goodie bag to take home which featured a chic Williams Sonoma tea towel. It actually makes washing the dishes look stylish, I just might have to become a domestic princess.

Written by Lucy Cocoran (Intern): I believe you can never own too many books or drink too much wine. A lover of all things fitness, food and lifestyle, I have big dreams of travelling the world with a soy latte and notebook in hand. My passion for finding unique stories has led me on many adventures which I hope to continue sharing through my writing.

Travel & Lifestyle

As founding editor of Travel & Lifestyle, with more than 10 years' experience in hotels and tourism. Raf knows what it takes to create, market a memorable destination experience. Combining the insatiable thirst for culture and travel with his team of content creators.